When stepping into Bruno Porchietto’s office, it’s a remarkably calm environment. He greets me with a soft smile and a handshake. A gentle yet assured voice. He is relaxed, joining me on a nearby table and unwinding. As we traverse his intriguing career to date, from Coca Cola to Argentinian ports and now to Melbourne’s automated cranes at Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), it feels like the company’s CEO is a measured hand – professional, sleek and collected.
ATN: “Where and when did your career started?”
Bruno Porchietto (BP): “I started my career in a large consumer goods company in Italy back in 1992, then I accepted a relocation in Romania in 1997 as Marketing Manager, and that was the beginning of my long journey through a number of countries and roles within different companies. After Romania I moved to Turkey and then to Poland. My following move was to join Coca Cola, in higher executive roles, and after a short spell back in Italy, I relocated abroad again, this time in Spain.”
ATN: “Did you have a family back then, and how were they impacted by these repeated relocations in such short times?”
BP: “My wife has been always with me since the beginning of the journey. Her flexibility and determination have been priceless companions, and contributed greatly to my professional success. We have two great kids who have grown in different countries and are now citizens of the world.”
ATN: “All these travelling and living in so many countries, how did you cope with the different cultures, languages, food, etc.?”
BP: “I pride myself of adapting quickly to the local culture. I consider a key aspect of this adaptation the willingness to learn to speak the local language, wherever I go. In fact, as of today I can speak seven languages, three of which I learned during my academic path. One regret I have is not to have learned to speak Turkish during my experience in the beautiful Istanbul, only a few words enough to get out of trouble on the street! As for food, well…” – here Bruno’s hesitation betrays his fondness for Italian food, even before he gives it away. “Being Italian, of course I love our traditional food, but I must say I have always tried my best to appreciate the local delicacies anywhere I have travelled.”
ATN: “Bruno, your exceptional career has been mostly in high profile consumer goods – where did the big change happen that brought you to join the logistic industry and manage a container port?”
BP: “Well, that was what you can call the ‘big twist’, and probably also the biggest surprise in my life. One day I received a call from a London based head hunter who, without many preambles, went straight to the point: he was interested in recruiting me as CEO of a container terminal in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After pointing out I knew very little about logistics and containers, he explained that International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), a Philippine based company with a strong worldwide presence in the sector, was searching for an “out of the box” thinking executive from a different industry. I was very intrigued by the innovative thinking of ICTSI – not many companies use this approach. Most businesses prefer to “play it safe” and keep choosing people from the same sector, ending up with everyone thinking in the same old way as a result. Before long, I went through the interview process and was offered the job. I then headed to Buenos Aires and started my new position as CEO of TecPlata, one of the most modern terminals in Latin America.”
ATN: “An amazing challenge indeed. What’s next for Bruno, after Argentina?”
BP: “After just short of five years in Buenos Aires, ICTSI came up with a new proposal: head across to Melbourne to lead Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), where I relocated with my family around three years ago. VICT started operations in 2017, and it has now become the largest terminal in Melbourne, with 43 per cent of market share. It has to be added that VICT represents the third largest terminal within ICTSI.”
ATN: “Can you spend a few words about ICTSI?”
BP: “As I said, ICTSI is a Filipino company who originated around four decades ago and started operation in the Manila container terminal. Thanks to the visionary leadership of its chairman, and a very agile management style, it has been growing and expanding relentlessly all around the world. Today ICTSI manages 34 terminals in 19 countries. ICTSI has a strong vision of sustainability driven through innovation, safety, communities engagement, respect for the environment and many other related topics.”
ATN:” How would you define your professional experience in these three years in Melbourne?”
BP: “I’ve found Melbourne to be very different from anything I have experienced in my long journey through all these countries. VICT terminal is fully automated and this feature makes it very unique, within ICTSI and even in the world, as there are no more than seven or eight other terminals with the same technology. With automation obviously comes precision, and this is the first thing I noticed in my first ‘walk-around’ of VICT – the odd quietness all around the terminal, despite boxes being moved around at a staggering speed by the self-driving straddles and stacking cranes.”
ATN: “What has been your impact on VICT?”
BP: “When I arrived, VICT was the smallest terminal in Melbourne. The fact that we only own one terminal in Australia makes it more difficult to face competition, since all our competitors can use their extensive network of terminals across the country to help them conquer the market. Nevertheless, in the last two years and a half we have been able to capture a significant portion of the market, reaching the leading position within the Port of Melbourne container terminals. Putting customers first and providing superior service have been the main reasons for our success, together with the great support we receive from our mother company ICTSI, which keeps on investing on the expansion of our terminal.”
ATN: “The relationship between management and staff in industrial entities such as factories and terminals is traditionally not an easy task – how is it working in VICT?”
BP: “I strongly believe our staff is the most precious and valuable asset the company has, and establishing a strong relationship and communication between the company management and all departments was my top priority. The result is that today VICT feels like a family, with frequent interactions through collective town halls, barbecues and family days. One more evidence of the positive culture we have established is the recent signing of the Enterprise Agreement renewal. Negotiations were conducted in a very respectful and transparent manner and the result, as everyone can judge, is a winning achievement for both parties.”
ATN: “What is the next step for Bruno and for VICT?”
BP: “VICT will keep growing through sustainable innovation, I have no doubt. I can see the motivation of the entire staff grows every day, along with our volumes. We are definitely becoming an employer of choice in the industry, and our retention grows steadily. We are about to expand our capacity by another 200,000 TEUs per annum, through the acquisition of new technologies and the addition of new stacking blocks in our yard. As for me, my job here is not completed. If you want to remain the number one, you have to keep improving and find ways to surpass your own limits. This is what we are doing every day at VICT.”
One hour after the start of the interview, all what was left for me to do was to thank Bruno for this incredible journey he shared with me, and congratulating him for his many achievements in multiple industries. It’s an intriguing tale of life in the logistics and ports space – it never stops. What stays with me most is Bruno’s focus on moving forward and respecting his various ‘families’.